Documentary aims to give a voice to Fox River

Maureen Wallenfang, USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinPublished 12:10 p.m. CT June 9, 2017

Producers of a locally made documentary “Fox-2-O” hope their film will show the value of a resource flowing through the Fox Cities — the Fox River.

Their half-hour documentary premieres Wednesday in the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s Kimberly Clark Theater followed by a panel discussion. The event is open to the public.

The filmmakers, all in their 20s, are avid kayakers who have seen the river up close.

“We’ve seen the signs ‘don’t eat the fish,’” said Joshua Murphy, director and co-owner of Shaman Motion Pictures based in Appleton. “I want better for the river. I want my grandchildren to kayak safely on the river.”

“We’d like it if you could eat the fish again,” said Mark Dexter, cinematographer and co-owner of the film company.

“Fox-2-O” was named to sound like the chemical formula for water, H2O, because it focuses on the river’s water quality.

Admission to the premiere is free, but those attending are encouraged to throw in a $10 donation to help with premiere costs, mainly labor expenses at the PAC.

To see teasers from the film, click here.

The documentary filmmakers are cutting their teeth on this project after five years of doing wedding videos under the Simply Love Films banner. They pay the bills by doing those videos plus commercial work, documentaries for nonprofits and travel films under their Shaman Motion Pictures arm.

This is their first independent documentary that they funded themselves.   

“This is what we want to do,” said Murphy. “This was to test our mettle.”

They might be the perfect people to see the river with fresh eyes, said Betsy Galbraith, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist. She was one of the experts asked to be in the film, and she said yes. 

“They pulled up with a kayak on top of their fuel-efficient vehicle. Millennials bring an energy with them. They approach quality of life differently,” said Galbraith. “I was excited that they wanted to do this. They brought the talent and skill set together to pull this off.”

Those from earlier generations grew up with their backs to the river.

“In the '60s and '70s, it was not so nice. It was smelly and green," said Galbraith. "Since the passage of the Clean Water Act (in 1972), it’s definitely improved over the last few generations.”   

The aim of the film was mostly to “ignite a conversation,” said film director Murphy.

“We don’t want to point fingers. We have to have industry. You need to conserve nature, but we need toilet paper and job creation. You have to have both,” he said. 

Former U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, a Republican, and state Rep. Gordon Hintz, a Democrat, both appear onscreen. Others in the film represent conservation groups including the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and 1000 Islands Environmental Center.

The documentary doesn’t promote a specific agenda other than to encourage viewers to value the river, said Daniel Gartzke, the film’s editor.

“It’s not a political film. We set out to make something that rose above the politics,” he said. “The message of the film is what people agree on, though Republicans came out harder on regulations. We tried to find the common ground.”

The film covers the river’s history, including its industrial past and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) contamination. Paper companies used the chemicals in the production of carbonless copy paper, and discharged PCBs into the lower Fox River until 1971. PCBs entered the food chain, causing reproductive failure and birth defects in fish-eating birds and mammals. In humans, they were linked to developmental problems in children whose mothers ate contaminated fish. Eight paper companies were involved in negotiations to determine financial responsibility for the cleanup.

The film, said its makers, focuses on what can be done now to improve water quality, including what individuals can do in their own backyards to help.

 “The mills aren’t the biggest polluter of the river,” Murphy said. “Agriculture is the highest, by a sliver. Urbanization and runoff contribute. We all contribute to it. People don’t realize that what they put into the sewer goes directly into the river. It’s what fertilizers you choose and how you manage your lawn. We talk about conservation measures, rain barrels, changing oil, grass clippings and avoiding runoff.”

While the filmmakers said everyone should see the documentary, it’s most important, said Gartzke, for “people who aren’t invested in the river to see it.”